Succulents and More™

In case you were wondering where the rocks went that I talked about in my last post , wonder no more. Some went in the succulent beds in the backyard, others were for a small but urgently needed update just inside the front yard fence. First let’s rewind to March 2010. Look at the bamboo in the center of this photo: Bambusa chungii ‘Barbellata’ (center) in April 2010, shortly after planting. The other two bamboos (right and left) are long gone. This cute little bamboo is now a behemoth 30 ft. tall: Bambusa chungii ‘Barbellata’ in April 2026. The tallest culms are now as tall as the house. Bambusa chungii is a clumping bamboo, a non-invasive type that grows in tight, contained circles instead of spreading aggressively underground like the common running bamboos. Still, over time the clump gets wider and wider until new shoots (called “culms”) appear in adjacent areas where they’re not wanted. Here’s an example: New shoot popping up in the adjacent agave bed... ...right next to my bigge...

My friend Kyle has been a major inspiration, and the #1 lesson I’ve learned from his garden is this: You can never have enough rocks. I’ve added tons (literally) of rocks to my front and backyard, and yet there’s always need (and room) for more. My go-to source for rocks is Dixon Landscape Materials , an easy 15-minute drive on the freeway. The material I’ve been getting for the last few years is called rustic red boulder. At the moment, the rock yard is a bit low: Rustic red boulders at Dixon Landscape Materials But there was enough to fill the trunk of our minivan. I try not to haul more than 500 pounds at a time, seeing how it’s an old car. This is a little over 400 pounds: 400 pounds of rustic red boulder on a cart The real surprise was in the basket right next to the rustic red boulders: Onyx from Arizona They just received a shipment of this onyx from Arizona: I love the look of it but I wasn’t sure if it would work in my garden, so I got three pieces to try out: Here’s a rusti...

As I mentioned in my mid-August This and that post, our local Costco warehouse has a variety of plumerias right now, $39.99 for a 3.5-gallon pot: As I said in my post, “Maybe I’ll go back tomorrow and get one.” And guess what? That’s exactly what I did: Plumeria rubra ‘Aztec Gold’ from Costco If you’ve ever seen (and smelled) a plumeria flower, you know why I’m so taken by them. If not, here are some photos I’ve collected over the years: Maui, Hawaii Maui, Hawaii Maui, Hawaii Santa Ana, California Oakland, California Plumerias (called “frangipani” in other parts of the English-speaking world, like Australia) are shrubs or small trees native to the Neotropics (Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, into South America) and related to desert roses ( Adenium sp.) and oleanders ( Nerium oleander ). They’re widely grown as ornamentals in other tropical regions, especially Hawaii. In fact, plumeria flowers are commonly used in leis, the traditional Hawaiian garlands, and worn in hair to s...

Last week, I had the opportunity to revisit a very special succulent garden in Sacramento, created and loved by Fred and Paul. Almost a year and half had gone by since my first visit , and I was eager to see their garden again. My friend Michele was my companion on this outing. Fred and Paul live in a mid-century modern house built in 1959. When they bought it almost 15 years ago, there was lawn everywhere: in the front, along the side, and in the back. Here’s what it looked like in 2011: Google Street View photo from 2011 The landscaping in the front is fairly minimalistic, dominated by concrete paths, steps, and planters with straight lines and right angles. The design reminded me of Palm Springs – and that was before I found out that Fred and Paul used to own a house in Palm Springs! Notice the tall multi-branched Euphorbia ammak with its startling yellow coloration above? It’s the signature plant of Fred and Paul’s garden. You’ll see more of it in the back. Variegated Euphorbia a...